Jaguars and other Wildlife

Trekforce will be heavily involved with the implementation of the management plan, devised by FCD, for the Chiquibul National Park. It is planned that by the projects Trekforce complete, we will be helping to minimise external threats to major species, such as Jaguars.

For major species, such as the Jaguar, areas like the Chiquibul-Maya Mountain area will probably become the last strongholds of the species in Belize. Survey data of Jaguars in the Chiquibul area, Gallon Jug and Cockscomb basin show three different population densities at these three discrete sites. Possible causes could be differences between the resulting habitat suitability or the level of protection afforded.

In the Chiquibul area, the relatively low figures may be the result of recent diminishing of prey due to heavy xatero activity in the area. If this is the case, then the population densities may become heavily dependent on the management objectives of protected areas.

Recent studies by the Wildlife Conservation Society Guatemala suggest that the last two potential strongholds for Jaguars in Belize are not large enough to sustain the species in the long term. Their survival depends on the wider connection with the Maya Biosphere Reserve and Chiquibul-Maya Mountains Biosphere Reserve, in Guatemala.

Jaguars are the largest of the five cats in Belize, the others being Puma, Ocelot, Jagarundi and Margay, and can reach up to 6 feet in length, weighing over 100kg. Vast areas of forest are in need of protection because a single jaguar male can require up to 65 square miles of territory.

Could i see a jaguar?

You could! It's not very common to see them during the day. Our group in Belize in July 2007 saw some big eyes reflected in their headtorches, but most recently (19/11/07) two of our staff in Belize, Jen and Will, spotted a jaguar running down a track, as they drove into the Chiquibul on a recce.

During the course of a 2 month jungle expedition with Trekforce, there's no limit to the amount of wildlife you could bump into. The longer you spend in the jungle, the more chance there is....!